Costa Rica’s Las Catalinas: First-Ever Family Summer Camp

Childhood summer vacations hold varied meanings for different individuals, but the common thread lies in the joy of freedom experienced during those unstructured months and the cherished memories of bonding with family. Recent findings from the 2023 U.S Family Travel Survey by the Family Travel Association (FTA) reaffirm the enduring significance of family vacations. Notably, research reveals that 81% of parents are inclined to travel with their children in the coming year. Post-pandemic, international family travel is witnessing a strong resurgence, with summer remaining the most favored period for family vacations. In a world increasingly consumed by screen time and technology, the summer vacation stands as a precious opportunity for families to forge connections, immersing themselves in new destinations where freedom and play await just beyond their doorstep.

Sleepaway summer camps for children have always been popular, but who says that they are just for kids? More and more destinations now offer sleepaway summer camps for the entire family, allowing children to learn, engage, create, and explore independently, while the parents can do the same, both enjoying the freedom that comes with a summer camp experience while spending quality time together. The mostly car-free seaside town of Las Catalinason Costa Rica’s Gold Coast is the ideal destination for families to experience the magic of a sleepaway summer camp together with its proximity to nature offering so much to explore and experience in the great outdoors on their own.

It is with great excitement that Las Catalinas announces its first-ever Family Summer Camp for the entire family. This exclusive “Live Like a Local at Las Catalinas” summer camp is valid from June to September 2024. The on-the-ground travel team at Beach Town Travel can curate a 7-day itinerary designed for each family with immersive cultural programs, wildlife and nature adventures, outdoor activities and more. With prices starting at $6435USD for a family of four people, the custom-tailored summer camp itinerary includes accommodations, daily breakfast, and activities. Daily activities include two days of private surfing lessons at Playa Grande and one day of exploring the region by horseback with La Estancia. “Family free day” which Beach Town Travel recommends: Diamante Zip Lining and Adventure Tour, ATV Tour of the Rivers of Costa Rica, or indulge in a full wellness day at Center of Joy in town or charter a boat for deep sea fishing. End your camp experience with a catamaran sail to explore the coastal coves of Playa Flamingo and Potrero. For more information, emailreservations@beachtowntravel.com or visit here.

Families often return to the same destination every summer because it evokes a sense of familiarity and comfort. Lenore Skenazy, co-founder of Let Grow, the non-profit whose mission is to give children their independence back, spent many summers vacationing in Rosmarins Cottages in Monroe, New York. The same families would return year after year for the freedom that came with no cars and just playing outside. In a recent article, Skenazy interviewed Charles Brewer, founder of Las Catalinas on how his mostly car-free town in Costa Rica is bringing back freedom and independence for children and how when cars are absent, “kid freedom just happens”. The opportunities for free play for both children and parents make Las Catalinas an enticing choice for that “summer camp” where people come up close with nature and to each other and can return every summer.

Creating opportunities for better balanced living with a greater connection to nature is at the forefront of the mostly car-free, coastal town of Las Catalinas in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Las Catalinas began conceptualizing a compact master plan in 2006 that set out to implement a better way of living for the people who live, work and vacation there. Almost totally car-free, the town and its textured hardscapes encourage maximum human-to-human interaction in a setting that harmonizes people with nature. Taking cars out of the equation means people spend more time outdoors on foot (or on bike) creating opportunities for spontaneous interactions, conversations, and impromptu socialization. No cars encourage more freedom for children (and parents).

Since its inception, Las Catalinas has been a leader in the movement to build highly walkable neighborhoods, towns, and cities. In 2022, The Congress for New Urbanism celebrated Beach Town, the first neighborhood within Las Catalinas, with a Charter Award recognizing the town for achieving “more equitable, sustainable, connected, healthy, and prosperous communities.” 

“The Family Summer Camps is something that Beach Town Travel has been brainstorming for quite some time,” said Pedro Pereira, Agency Director with Beach Town Travel. “This specialized camp is designed to give families summer freedom through living like a local in Las Catalinas, a pedestrian-friendly beach front town. Summer sleepaway camp offers freedom to children and adults alike to find the meaning of Pura Vida.”